


Its okay to cry

by garseeya



Category: Disney - All Media Types, Disney Princesses, Elsamaren - Fandom, Frozen (Disney Movies)
Genre: AU, F/F, Fluff, I need to write something other than fluff, Mild Angst, Minor Violence, lots of fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-14
Updated: 2020-07-14
Packaged: 2021-03-05 04:20:08
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,426
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25268236
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/garseeya/pseuds/garseeya
Summary: To which true love stands firm in the face of time.Rated M for language, mild depictions of violence, and alcohol use.Submission 3 for ElsaMaren Summer 2020 based on the prompt, Are you the one I’ve been looking for all of my life?
Relationships: Elsa/Honeymaren (Disney)
Comments: 9
Kudos: 40
Collections: Elsamaren Summer 2020





	Its okay to cry

Scraped knees and tears followed the playground altercation that left Maren sulking on the ground in defeat as Hans laughed over her. He had been nothing but a bully since the school year started, often picking on the girl for the way she dressed and talked. Being one of the few Indigenous students at her school, fitting in felt hard enough without the pretentious little ass hat that was Hans constantly making her life miserable. 

“Leave her alone, Hans!” Maren heard yelled as she whipped her head around to face the voice of whoever it was coming to her rescue. 

“And so what if I don’t, huh?” Hans sneered at the blonde that now stood before them. 

“I’ll... I’ll tell on you if you don’t!” she stammered having entered into the fight with no clear plan of action. 

“Tsk, whatever,” Hans scoffed as he rolled his eyes, turning once again to face Maren. “This filthy little loser isn’t worth my time anyway. Later, dorks.”

As Hans made his leave, the blonde hesitantly made her way over to Maren’s side. Being the new kid in school, Maren didn’t know many people, sans Hans, and as such, she was shocked at the little blue eyed girl’s rescue attempt. Looking up at her savior in confusion, Maren sniffled as she tried to hold back the tears that once again filled her eyes at the strangers act of kindness. “Th... thank you for help...ping me,” she choked.

“Its okay to cry, you know! My mommy said its healthy to feel” the little blonde remarked before grabbing the brunette’s hand. “Come on now, lets go get you cleaned up” she said with a smile. 

“O... okay...” Maren stammered, as she rose to follow, tears now falling down her cheeks. 

“By the way, my name is Elsa, whats yours?”

—— 

It was the coldest winter on record in the bustling city of Arendelle but nothing compared to the frigid temperatures that plagued Maren’s tiny village of Northoldra, saddled on just on the outskirts of town. Wanting nothing more than to play hockey with her friends, Maren watched the seconds on the clock tick by as she mindlessly doodled in her notebook, ignoring the AP biology lecture taking place in the background. Feeling her phone buzz in her pocket, Maren glanced up at her teacher who was positioned towards the board before glancing down to check the incoming message. 

Elsa: “You look like you’re having fun.”

Chuckling to herself, Maren replied before turning to make eye contact with her best friend seated several desks behind her. 

Maren: “Oh so much fun. Who knew mitochondria was the powerhouse of the cell? Not me!!”

Hearing a small giggle escape Elsa’s lips, Maren smiled to herself before a loud ring on the classroom phone stole her attention. 

Quickly placing her phone back in her pocket as her teacher made his way to answer the call, Maren sighed as she wondered when this day would be over. 

“Ah, okay. I see. I’ll let her know...” Maren heard the teacher say, a solemn sound of concern lacing his voice. Hanging up the phone, the teacher turned and met Maren’s eyes, a look of sadness causing a wave of fear to cross her body. “Miss Naturra, you’re wanted in the main office.”

“Me?” Maren stammered, standing to make her way down the hall, “well okay then...”

“Ah Miss Naturra, you might want to take your things with you,” he said as Maren felt her mouth grow dry as she made her exit. 

Time seemed to stop as Maren arrived in the office, the principle and a police officer walking towards her with grief plastered on their face. She knew whatever was going on, it had to have been bad beings as neither looked as if they wanted to talk. 

“Is... is everything okay?” Maren finally asked, bracing herself for whatever answer was to follow. 

“I’m so sorry, Miss Naturra...” the principal began as Maren felt her heart sink, “its your parents...”

Feeling her phone vibrate in her pocket, Elsa pulled her eyes from the board as a new message from Maren flashed across her screen, a sense of panic flooding the blonde who had sat in worry since her friend’s sudden departure.

Maren: “Elsa, there was an accident... my parents... their gone.”

Rising to her feet, Elsa sprinted out of the class room towards the office, not looking back as her teacher called after her. 

Bursting through the office doors, Elsa approached the brunette who sat with a blank expression on her face. 

“Maren, I’m so sorry...” Elsa stammered, her heart breaking at her friend’s loss. 

“Its... its okay, Elsa. I’m okay... They... they said it was an inexperience driver. They, hit a patch of black ice and spun out, hitting my parent’s car head on... They... they said it was quick and that... that they didn’t stuffer...” Maren said, putting on her best brave face. 

“Oh, Maren...” Elsa said as she wrapped her friend in a warm embrace. 

Collapsing into her arms, Maren sobbed as Elsa’s embrace tightened. 

“Its okay to cry,” Elsa said with no plans on letting Maren go. 

——

To say life had been lonely would be an understatement. Between juggling two jobs to pay for school and class, Maren barely had time to think, let alone socialize. After her parents died, Maren opted to attend school back in Northuldra, spending the remainder of her pre-college days with her brother and grandmother. Though no one could ever replace her parents, Maren was grateful to have her them and the time they spent together in her life. This fact made Maren’s departure to college all the more bittersweet as she found herself on her own at the prestigious University of Corona. 

She had hoped that college would provide her with an opportunity to grow into herself. As a queer woman from a relatively small village, the pool of people like her was small, and as such, she had always felt alone in her home. Having heard nothing but good things about the queer scene at UoC, Maren had been excited at the prospect of befriending others like her. Saddled with a heavy workload, these hopes would unfortunately not come to fruition, as her responsibilities took precedence. 

“You look like you could use a break,” Maren heard her coworker Cassandra remark as they closed up their shop for the evening. 

“You got that right,” Maren chuckled, “but who has time for that?”

“You have time,” Cassandra remarked, “its just all about how you use it.”

“Yeah, yeah,” Maren scoffed, “I just feel like if I’m not working, I should be studying because if I’m not getting good grades, then what is all of this work even for?”

“Well, I can’t argue with that logic, but I still stand by my assessment - you look like you could use a break. 

“Maybe one of these days,” Maren smiled weakly, as she shook her head. 

“How about this Friday? A few friends and I are going to check out this frat party; you should come. Might be good for you to get out and let loose for a bit.”

“Ah, I don’t know, Cass...”

“Aw common Mare, don’t be such a buzz kill.”

“Fine...” Maren relented, “I guess a few hours wouldn’t hurt...”

“Great! I’ll text you the details,” Cassandra said as she hung her apron, “I’ll catch you on Friday”

Standing outside the frat house doors, Maren hesitated, as she debated one last time as to if this is where she wanted to be. Not wanting to let her coworker down, Maren made her way in, the stale smell of beer and sweat meeting her nose. Grabbing a beer from a cooler positioned near the door, Maren took a big swig before making her way in to seek out her friend. 

“Hey Mare!” she heard, a familiar voice call, as she turned to see Cassandra waving her over. Making her way towards the group, Maren focused on her drink, avoiding eye contact as she suddenly felt out of place among the well dressed sorority girls. 

“Everyone, this is my coworker, Maren” Cassandra chided, introducing Maren to the group. Smiling as her eyes made their way across the group standing before her, her mind suddenly came to a halt as a familiar pair of ocean blue eyes stared back at her. 

“Elsa?” Maren stammered, her childhood friend standing in front of her. 

“Maren! Oh my gosh, its been too long,” Elsa said, arms outstretched welcoming Maren into a warm embrace. 

“I take it you two know each other?” Cassandra smirked. 

“Yes, we do!” Elsa replied through a melancholy smile, “We attended elementary and half of secondary school together.” 

“We kind of fell out after I switched to a school back in Northuldra, but I can tell you for a fact, I never had a friend since as good as Elsa,” Maren smiled before catching her mistake, “No offense, Cass.”

“None taken! So then, what do you say we take a couple of shots to celebrate this joyous reunion then?” 

As the night progressed, Maren couldn’t help but feel captivated at the sight of her old friend. She was beautiful and just as kind and loving as Maren remembered. Though a lot of healing had come out of leaving school in Arendelle to spend more time with her remaining family, the loss she felt in leaving Elsa was a wound that never quite healed. Though years had passed since then, Maren felt hopeful that maybe, just maybe the two might be able to rekindle their friendship. 

“Elsa! There you are damnit. Just talk to me!” a raged and booming voice entered the room pulling everyone’s attention. 

“No, Hans. I don’t owe you the pleasure.” Elsa remarked, voice filled with conviction. 

“Please, Elsa,” he pleaded, eyes glazed over, “just one conversation and then I will leave you and Anna alone forever.” 

After taking a moment to gather her thoughts, Elsa finally responded in the firmest voice she could muster, “Outside. Now.” If one conversation is all it would take to ride her and her sister of this asshole’s presence, then that was a conversation she was more than willing to have. 

As the two made their way outside, a sense of concern made its way through Maren. “What was that all about?” she turned to ask Cassandra, 

“Oh, thats Hans. He used to date Elsa’s sister before she broke up with him for cheating on her with several other girls. He’s a real scumbag if you ask me.”

“Hans...” Maren muttered, familiar with the name and the jackass attached to it. Feeling justified in her concern, Maren set her eyes on the clock, noting the time. If Elsa didn’t return within 15 minutes, Maren resolved to go out and check on her. In the meantime, Maren decided to settle her anxieties with another beer as she watched the seconds tick by. 

Approximately 16 minutes later, Maren felt  
her knuckles split as they connected with Han’s mouth, as she knocked him to the ground. The minute that proceeded the altercation more than justified the action in her mind as she recounted the foul words she heard spoken to Elsa and the hands she saw him place on Elsa’s waist as she watched Elsa struggle to pull away. 

“Who the fuck do you think you are?” Hans sneered, spitting blood before rising to his feet, striking Maren above the eye in return. Stumbling backwards, Maren caught herself, the as she blinked the blood that now dripped down her face from her eye. Seeing Hans once again approach a stunned Elsa, Maren moved to position her body between the two as she locked eyes with Hans who was overcome with rage. “Well if it isn’t the filthy little loser from grade school,” he scoffed, “You always were nothing but a pain in my ass and waste of space.”

Standing firm, Maren never once took her eyes off the man who’s alcohol laced breath met her nose as he lunged forward, tackling her to the ground. Fighting Hans off as best as she could, Maren finally gained the upper hand as the two struggled to make their way back to their feet, Hans falling over in his drunken state. Before he had the chance to move again, a loud voice cut through the air. 

“Hey, what the hell do you think you’re doing?” a large, muscular blond man yelled as he made his way over, duck tailed by a redhead Maren knew to be Elsa’s younger sister Anna. 

“Maren?” Anna yelled recognizing the brunette from their younger days as she rushed over to the bloodied woman’s side. “What are you doing here? What happened?”

“Hans was... was attacking me and Maren... Maren stopped him,” Elsa stammered before Maren could even form words. Glancing back at Hans who was cowering on the ground, now cornered by the blond man, Maren shuddered. 

“The police are on the way,” Anna assured her sister, “we called them as soon as we pulled up and saw the altercation.”

“Thank you, Anna,” Elsa replied, breathing a heavy sigh of relief. 

“Here, take this and try and stop the bleeding from Maren’s hand,” Anna stated as she handed Elsa the light scarf that had hung around her neck, “I am going to check on Kristoff.”

“Okay, Anna but please, be careful,” Elsa pleaded as her sister nodded before turning towards the man who Maren now figured to be Kristoff. 

“Elsa, I...” Maren started as she looked up at the blue eyed girl standing in front of her.

“Maren, thank you...” Elsa said, as she reached out wrapping her old friend in a warm embrace. “You, saved me...”

A wave of emotions tugged at Maren’s heart at the sound of Elsa’s words. Next to her family, Elsa was one of the most important people in her life and no amount of lost time could ever change that. 

“Elsa...” Maren stammered, burying her face into Elsa’s shoulder as the adrenaline that once coursed through her veins began to wear off, “I heard him yell at you and saw him grab you and I got scared... Please, are you okay? I’m so sorry I didn’t come sooner. I’m so sorry, I was gone.”

Feeling Maren’s tears through her shirt, Elsa hugged her friend tighter, “I’m a little shaken up but I am okay, thanks to you.”

Pulling back Maren met Elsa’s eyes as she wiped her own. Seeing her blood and tears stained on Elsa’s shirt, Maren stammered, “I’m so sorry, I shouldn’t even be crying. You’re the one he hurt, not me.”

“My shirt would beg to differ,” Elsa said through a small smile before pulling Maren back into her arms. “That was scary and besides,” she said, tears now filling her own eyes at the safety and relief she felt as her and Maren’s bodies intertwined, “its okay to cry.”

——

It had been three years since Elsa and Maren were reunited at the college frat party gone wrong, the memory of which forever engraved in a small scar across Maren’s eyebrow. The first year following the event saw the pair once again grown closer, picking back up as if no time had been lost at all. The second year however, saw change in the best possible way as the pair transitioned their relationship from one that was purely platonic to one of a romantic nature. Despite having known each other for so long, the pair was pleasantly surprised to learn that the other reciprocated their respective long-standing feelings of love. 

As their relationship progressed, the couple found a world of new adventures on their horizon. From graduating, to finding jobs, to moving to different cities, to eventually moving in together, the couple tackled each and every challenge together head on. As their third year since reuniting came to a close, Maren felt herself ready to make another change. 

Looking back on her life, Elsa was the one thing outside of her family that remained constant. She was Maren’s beacon of hope; she was her home. Having taught herself from a young age to keep people out, opening her heart to Elsa, while against everything she had come know, felt right. From the day they met, to the minute they parted earlier in the day as they left for work, Maren knew that Elsa was someone special and now, more than ever, she was sure she never wanted to let her go. 

Though there was nothing particularly special about the 14th of July, Maren figured today was as good of a day as any to make the change her heart desired. A sense of excitement and fear flooding her body, Maren shot Elsa a quick text from her desk, hoping to catch her before her lunch break ended. 

Maren: “Hey babe! What do you say we take a walk after work? I’m thinking the park off of Fjord Way and 97th? Word on the street has it that food truck you like will be there lol.”

Feeling her phone vibrate, a smile crossed Elsa’s face as a new message from Maren flashed across the screen. As she read the message, she couldn’t help but raise an eyebrow in a slight confusion. She had never known Maren to be the spontaneous type, and yet here she was, asking Elsa out on an impromptu date in the park on a work night no less. Shaking her head in with a smile on her face, Elsa couldn’t help but think of the chicken on their counter that she had pulled out to thaw, surely it would be spoiled by the time their date was over but nonetheless, she happily obliged. 

Elsa: “My favorite food truck and a Tuesday evening walk? To what do I owe the pleasure?”

Maren: “Common... Can’t a girl just take her girlfriend out for a fancy dinner and a stroll?”

Elsa: “Ever the romantic as always lol, but yes. That sounds great. I’ll meet you there at 5:30?”

Maren: “Can’t wait! I love you :)”

Elsa: “I love you too <3”

The hours passed by slowly as Maren stared at the clock on the wall while doodling on the meeting agenda in front of her. As her boss discussed the company’s financial forecast, Maren wanted nothing more than to fast forward to the evening she had planned for her and Elsa. Letting her mind wander, the brunette pondered what she planned to say when they finally met. She wanted it to be perfect; simple yet enough to carry everything Elsa meant to her. Drawing a blank, Maren felt herself become frustrated as to how now of all times, her words seemed to fail her when previously, conversing with Elsa came as natural as breathing. 

Sighing as she questioned her approach, Maren was pulled back to reality as the sound of her boss’s voice rang out, “Hey! Earth to Naturra! The meetings over! Time to exit the conference room.” 

“Sorry about that...” Maren muttered, realizing only her and her boss remained in the room. “Won’t happen again.”

Trekking back to her desk, Maren fiddled with the tiny box in her pocket, glancing once more at the clock. It was almost time to go and her thoughts were more tangled than ever. Taking a deep breath, Maren hoped to quell her reservations as she prepared to make her leave. More likely than not, she reasoned, things would work out okay. With Elsa, by her side, they always seemed to and yet, her nerves remained. 

“Hey babe!” Elsa smiled as she waved at Maren. Watching her girlfriend approach, she couldn’t help but wonder why the brunette appeared troubled. “Everything okay?”

“Hi love,” Maren said before leaning in to kiss Elsa on the cheek. “Yeah, everything is good. Just a long day at work,” she lied. 

“Do you want to talk about it?”

“Nah, its all good. What do you say we start our walk?” 

Studying Maren’s face for any hint of insincerity, Elsa finally relented, finding none. Still, Elsa couldn’t shake the feeling that something seemed off. Taking Maren’s hand in her own, Elsa offered it a gentle squeeze as the two began their walk. 

As the sun started to set, Maren once again resumed fiddling with the box now burning a hole in her pocket. She had hardly touched her food and had been more detached during their meal than she cared to admit. Why couldn’t she do this? Finishing up the last of her food, Elsa finally broke the silence that had fallen between them. 

“You know, this evening was lovely, Honey. It was such a pleasant surprise.” 

“Yeah,” Maren muttered, “It was great...”

Finally, feeling enough was enough, Elsa found herself pleading with the girl. “Alright, Mare, whats going on? Something has been off all night and I’m starting to worry about you.”

“Its nothing, Els, I swear.”

“Maren...”

Letting out a heavy sigh, Maren knew there was nothing left to offer Elsa by way of excuse; all that was left was the truth. 

“Elsa,” Maren began as she reached across the table the two sat at, taking Elsa’s hands in her own. “Please don’t worry; I mean it when I say nothing is wrong.”

“Then what is it?”

“Its just that everything is... is right...”

“What?”

“I’m sorry, Els,” Maren said through a light chuckle, eyes fixed on their intertwined hands, a sense of comfort washing over her body as her nerves saw their way out. “Its just when I’m with you, everything feels so damn right that it almost seems too good to be true.” Looking up to meet Elsa’s eyes, Maren took a deep breath, as she gathered what words she did have, knowing they may not be perfect, but at they very least they’d be true. “Elsa, from the day I met you, I knew you were something special. We were so young and you were so brave; its like you were my first-grade knight in shining armor or something. Even as a kid, I didn’t know what I did right to deserve someone like you in my life. I was so used to everyone around me treating me unkind, that I couldn’t fully understand why you’d ever want to be friends with someone like me, and yet you never wavered. 

When I found out my parents died, it felt like something broke in me. I felt numb, and alone and yet there you were, breaking all the schoolhouse rules, kicking down doors just to hold me as I cried. Those years we spent apart, not a day went by when you didn’t cross my mind in one way or another. It hurt to fall out; it hurt to lose you. It seemed so unfair that in order for me to heal, in order to shake the memory of standing in that school’s office as the principal told me my parents were gone, I had to lose you in the process but I... I just couldn’t bring myself to stay...”

“Maren...” Elsa whispered, a feeling of pain grasping her heart as she noticed the tears forming in her partner’s eyes.

“All those years, I felt like maybe I was just meant to be alone, you know? Maybe it was better to keep the walls I had built around my heart as a child up. But then there you were, once again, standing in front of me. The minute I laid eyes on you in the middle of that smelly frat house, those walls, the walls that I had so desperately tried to keep up, were once again brought down the moment I heard you say my name. 

Then when I saw Hans grab you, when I heard him say the horrible things he said, I knew right then and there I’d do anything to protect you - to keep you safe. That was one of the scariest moments of my life Els, not because of anything I feared for myself but for the potential loss of you...” 

Feeling Elsa run her thumb over the scars on Maren’s knuckles that remained from the altercation, Maren’s eyes pulled to their hands. Giving Elsa’s hands a gentle squeeze before removing her own, Maren caught a wave of confusion cross Elsa’s eyes as she moved to place her hands in her pockets. 

“I’m so grateful we were reunited that day, Elsa. As terrible as the night went, I thank the spirits everyday for bringing you back into my life and am so thankful we made it out of that situation okay. Every day with you since then has been a blessing. Through everything life has thrown at me, you’ve been the light that has kept me going. You’re everything to me Elsa.”

Watching Elsa’s eyes grow wide, Maren stood and made her way around the table. “So you see Elsa, I meant it when I said nothing is wrong because when I am with you, I feel safe and confident that everything will turn out alright. The reason I was acting strange, the reason things tonight may have felt off, is because I was struggling to find the words to tell you everything that you mean to me but of course...” Maren laughed, “the second I let you in, the words just seemed to fall into place. I guess what I’m trying to say is, I love you Elsa, with all my heart and soul, and I want to spend the rest of my life with you.” 

Dropping to one knee Maren finally removed the little box she had been holding in her pocket, revealing a none other than a ring. “You’re everything I’ve been looking for in life, Elsa. Will you marry me?”

Overcome with a flood of emotion, tears began to rain down from Elsa’s ocean blue eyes, as she extended her arms to meet Maren in a warm embrace. “Yes...” she stammered, “a million times yes.” 

Laughing, Maren pulled back from their embrace, taking Elsa’s hand in her own as she slipped the ring on her finger before moving to wipe the tears from her eyes. 

“Ah, I’m sorry,” Elsa giggled at Maren’s gesture. “I’m just so happy. I was not expecting this at all and I just... I just love you so much,” Elsa remarked tears once again filling her eyes. 

“Don’t apologize, love. Its okay to cry,” Maren said, gently placing a kiss on Elsa’s forehead before wrapping her in her arms once more. She would never let Elsa go again.


End file.
